The workers in the Stewart household began to clean up after another day of serving meals. Katherine prepared an extra strong brew of tea to serve Oscar and Amanda who sat at the corner kitchen table after having dined in private. Amanda invited Katherine to join them after she poured their drinks from a steaming kettle.
“You look tired,” she said, indicating for Katherine to sit and have some tea. “Perhaps you should stay home tomorrow. You can help Sophia bake bread.”
“Mother has enough help for that,” she said. “I would only be in the way. Besides, she has a system.”
“Then arrive a few hours late,” Amanda suggested. “You’re here more than you should be.”
Katherine blushed, suspecting that neither Oscar nor Amanda knew of her strong feelings for Lewis. She felt embarrassed to tell them why she had worked extra hours in their house lately, hoping to see Lewis more often since he was one of Oscar’s employees. But in light of recent events, that ploy hadn’t worked well as Lewis was rarely around the house anymore. But with the Stewarts now at her side, she decided to tell them of their budding relationship. There was no reason to hide it as they were each responsible adults of seventeen, despite Amanda Stewart frowning upon distracting relationships between her employees.
But Katherine barely got the first word out of her mouth when Oscar suddenly sat up straight in his chair as if he had been stabbed in the back. Katherine and Amanda looked at him with concern. In the distance, above the din of clattering dishes and kitchen conversations, the mournful tolling of the village bell could be heard. The changing of the evening guard had commenced.
“What’s the matter, Oscar?” his wife asked, placing her hands upon his. Amanda thought she detected a slight trembling when she touched his cool skin. “You’re nearly as pale as this morning’s dusting of snow.”
“Overworked, I guess. I need some fresh air.” Oscar stood, making his way to the front door with Amanda and Katherine trailing behind. He grabbed his coat from a hallway peg and slipped it on. The remaining soldiers who had been recently dining had since left.
He inhaled the cool air when he stepped out the door, holding his breath for a moment to calm himself. The two oil lamps on either side of the front stone path cast a warm glow upon the fallen leaves that had been raked aside. The dark, tree-lined street stood deathly still. Moments later, Amanda and Katherine were at his side, each wrapped in a warm, flowing cloak. Oscar’s wife slipped her arm inside his, holding him close.
“What’s bothering you, Oscar?” she asked in worried tones. “I’ve never seen you so rattled.”
“I just had to step out. I’m…” Oscar looked up the street to the north, gazing past the distant houses and treetops, desperately seeking a sign. He expected to see the glow of firelight any moment now. But as the seconds drifted by, and then another minute or two, he began to worry. He walked across the lawn, still facing north, yet the horizon lay dark and the sky was blanketed with clouds.
“What are you looking for?” Katherine whispered. She was unable to observe Oscar’s expression in the dense shadows, yet could sense the tension that gripped him.
Oscar turned to his wife and Katherine, rubbing a hand nervously across his face. “I suppose I can tell you now since the men are in motion,” he softly said, looking around to make sure no one was in earshot. “Tonight is the night we’ve been planning for these last few days.”
Amanda let out a small gasp. “You mean–?”
Oscar nodded. “Our little resistance movement is about to have its first test. The tolling of the village bell was the signal to begin.” He scanned the northern horizon again, still as black as coal. “But we seem to be a little behind schedule.”
“What’s supposed to happen?” Amanda asked. “What are you looking for?”
Oscar was about to fill them in on the specifics of his inspired plan when the sound of distant voices at the south end of the road caught their attention. As they turned and walked back to the front of the house, Oscar could see two Island soldiers riding upon horses as they slowly made their way up the street, having just turned up the corner off River Road. Behind the two riders walked a group of ten local men surrounded by a small company of armed soldiers, their swords unsheathed and reflecting the light from the flickering torches that several held aloft. As the group passed by the house, Oscar noted that the ten villagers all had their hands tied in front of them, their heads bowed despondently. He was shocked into silence as he watched them advance.
“Where are you taking these men?” he finally called out to one of the riders. “What have they done?”
“Go inside,” a voice gruffly commanded. “There’s nothing of concern here.”
“But what have they done?” Katherine demanded to know. “You simply cannot–” Suddenly her heart froze when one of the prisoners turned his head to her as he walked by. Lewis gazed upon her, troubled and frightened, yet tried to smile to comfort her. Katherine was stunned, nearly losing her balance before Oscar caught her by the arm.
“These criminals, along with three more apprehended elsewhere, will be dealt with by the wizard himself,” the soldier continued. “Do not interfere. I’m sure they will be accorded a fair trial before their sentences are announced.” A wave of laughter rippled through the Island troops as they disappeared up the road and turned left at the next corner, swallowed up in the shadows.
“That was Lewis!” Katherine exclaimed, looking to Oscar for an answer. “Why was he there? What was he doing?”
“Tell us,” Amanda pleaded, her voice quivering. “What did you plan for tonight? And what do we do now?”
Oscar swallowed hard as fear gripped him, his mouth slightly agape in the glow of the lamplight. But all he could do was shake his head, dumbfounded by the sight of Lewis Ames and the others being marched away as prisoners. Had someone made a terrible mistake? Or had they all been betrayed? In either case, Oscar could only blame himself at the moment.
“This cannot be,” he mournfully whispered as the world around him dissolved into a dizzying blur. “What have I done?”
CHAPTER 46
A Wizard’s Revenge
News spread rapidly throughout the night about the arrest of thirteen villagers who had challenged Caldurian’s authority. Though the wizard had labeled the men as conspirators, the citizens of Kanesbury looked upon them as heroes. And while the men were endlessly praised, most people harbored no illusions regarding their fate, fearing that callous retribution would be meted out at once.
Nobody was allowed to visit the prisoners after they were hauled off to the lockup. Maynard had made a public spectacle the next morning in front of the building, asking to see the thirteen. But a few soldiers only blocked his entrance until he received further orders from Caldurian who was contemplating the matter in his quarters. Maynard then marched to Otto’s house with a group of villagers in tow, demanding to speak to the wizard, but all were refused a meeting. Armed soldiers dispersed the crowd, explaining that Caldurian would make a public announcement later that morning.
An hour before noon, one of the captains rode up on horseback to the village hall with a message from the wizard. He dismounted and walked to the top step where a crowd eagerly gathered, all bundled up beneath a swirl of gray clouds and intermittent snowflakes. The stern-faced soldier held up one hand to settle everyone before unfolding a sheet of parchment to read.
“The wizard Caldurian hereby orders that the thirteen conspirators captured last night will be paraded in front of the gathered populace at noon today inside the village hall to receive their just sentences. All work assignments will be suspended so the citizens of Kanesbury may attend this most grave occasion. Threats posed by these lawbreakers have interfered with the orderly running of our village. Such disruptive behavior cannot be tolerated.” The soldier looked up at the crowd, lowering the piece of parchment. “That is all.” He turned and walked away.
“So now we wait,” a woman whispered anxiously to another at h
er side. “It will be a long hour to endure.”
“Especially for the prisoners,” her friend replied helplessly as the crowd dispersed. “It doesn’t look good for them.”
“No,” the woman replied with a sigh. “I suspect not.”
Kanesbury was at a standstill an hour later as everyone converged upon the village hall, filling the benches to capacity. Many stood among the soldiers along the side walls and in back while others were forced to remain outside for lack of room. The table and chairs usually in front for the village council meetings had been removed, lending a cold emptiness to the interior. The room, however, was sufficiently warmed by the body heat and endless chatter of the crowd as people speculated about what would happen. Someone sarcastically suggested that Caldurian might shatter all the repaired windows once again, though another didn’t put such an action past him. But all voices fell silent by the unexpected ringing of the village bell. It solemnly tolled three times, after which the interior doors of the building were opened.
Slowly, the thirteen prisoners were escorted up the center aisle by armed soldiers to the empty space in front. People turned around to watch the grim procession, noting the prisoners’ pale faces and weary eyes. Their hands were tied in front as if common criminals. Katherine, sitting in one of the middle aisles next to her mother, trembled when she saw Lewis pass by in a frightened daze. She clasped her mother’s hand for support as her heart ached and her eyes welled with tears. The prisoners were instructed to stand in a slight semicircle and face their fellow citizens as they awaited Caldurian’s arrival. Finally, after moments of excruciating silence, the wizard appeared through a side door and strode confidently to the front of the crowd.
“I will get right to the point,” he said in a low, commanding voice, his thin face and iron gray hair punctuated by a pair of dark eyes filled with indignation. “The thirteen men standing here have defied my authority. All have been thoroughly questioned. Yet to a man, not even one will reveal the instigator behind their devious plot. So before this day is done, they will pay the consequences for their hideous actions.”
“Let them go!” someone shouted. “They’ve done nothing wrong.”
Caldurian stood tall and intimidating, wrapped in a black cloak that mirrored the gloom of the outdoors. He extended an arm with the swiftness of a drawn sword, pointing at the prisoners. “They have challenged my authority, regardless of the failure of their mission! That by itself is a grievous crime, and so punishment must be doled out to restore order. This will be accompanied by food rations throughout the village and additional arrests for the slightest infractions.” Groans of disapproval rose from the crowd. “All to discourage similar misbehavior in the future. I don’t want to do this, but I have no choice.”
“You do have a choice!” Maynard said, standing up by one of the side benches. “You’re pushing us too far, Caldurian, and others may revolt if you continue.”
“I’m doing what needs to be done to run this village!” he boomed, silencing the crowd. “However,” he quickly followed, his voice softening and more pleasant, “I would be more than amenable to releasing all of the thirteen prisoners and lifting the new arrest and food rationing orders on one condition.”
“What?” Ned Adams asked skeptically, sitting near Maynard.
“Simply this,” the wizard replied. “I want to know the identity of the person–or persons–who instigated this rebellion. Whoever had the impudence to think he could challenge me should step forward right now to save these misguided individuals. Or if anyone happens to know the identity of such a ringleader, you may disclose that name to me now or to one of my captains later and anonymously if you prefer.” Caldurian scanned the worried faces of the crowd. “Is there anyone with integrity enough to step forward and admit complicity in this affair right now? Or others brave enough to turn in a fellow citizen? Anyone?”
The wizard waited for several moments, allowing those gathered to search their thoughts and shoot furtive glances at one another. Yet no one acceded to Caldurian’s wishes. The room remained as still as a moonless, winter night. Katherine stared at Oscar Stewart who sat across the room with Amanda, wondering if he would dare speak up. But Oscar held his tongue, as did Maynard, Ned and a few other men who Katherine assumed had been involved in the resistance. She couldn’t imagine how this day would end.
After another minute of uncomfortable silence, the wizard’s voice broke the unbearable tension. “It appears that no one wishes to take responsibility for the rebellion. And apparently no one wants to turn in those who were behind it either–at least not in public. Therefore, I will take the extra step and demonstrate one final act of mercy–but only one–and give you until sunset tonight to come forward with the information I seek. But if by then no one claims responsibility or identifies those behind these acts, then I’ll have no choice but to pronounce my sentence.”
“Do as you must,” Len Harold definitely stated, standing behind Caldurian with his hands bound. “We take full responsibility for our actions and implicate no one else.”
A snake-like smile spread across the wizard’s face. “As you wish,” he said, grabbing Len by one arm and pulling him forward. He randomly chose a second man from the group, bringing Lewis Ames forward as well so that he stood side by side with Len. “If information is not presented to me by sunset, then these two gentlemen will pay for the crimes of this group with their very lives, forfeited at the point of a sword. The remaining eleven will be marched north and either conscripted into the army from the Northern Isles or imprisoned across the sea.” Caldurian awaited a response from the crowd but was greeted with horrified silence. “So I guess I have made myself perfectly clear. Until this evening then.”
Without hesitation, Caldurian walked off and disappeared through a side door, the folds of his cloak trailing behind like a billowing wisp of black cloud. Soldiers escorted the prisoners down the center aisle and out the village hall, with Len Harold and Lewis Ames pushed in front of the group, their faces pale and their thoughts whirling. As the thirteen men walked past in silence, Katherine wanted to rush over to Lewis and comfort him, wondering amid warm tears if anyone could save Lewis and the others from either certain death or expulsion from their beloved homes.
Less than an hour later, Maynard stood in the ice cellar of the Stewart household with Oscar and Ned discussing what was to be done. Oscar paced nervously, his frosty breath rising in the harsh glow of candlelight.
“This is my fault,” he whispered, finally sitting down on a block of ice covered with straw. “It was a foolish plan I proposed! Why did you people listen to me?”
“Your idea was sound,” Maynard assured him. “But apparently someone found out. The enemy was tipped off.”
“By who?” Ned asked. “Someone from our group?”
Maynard nodded sadly. “Either that or one of Caldurian’s soldiers overheard something in passing. After all, we conspirators grew to a large number near the end. But regardless of the reason, we only have until sunset to save the lives of Len and Lewis. And we certainly can’t condemn the others to conscription or imprisonment in the Northern Isles. That might be worse than death itself, so I–”
“Agreed!” Oscar nervously interrupted, only half listening to what Maynard had said. “Therefore, I shall turn myself in and accept the consequences. It’s the only way.”
“Oscar, you’re speaking nonsense!” Ned told him. “Besides, you have a wife and businesses and employees to care for. There has to be another way. We must make some sort of deal with the wizard to spare everyone.”
Maynard sighed dejectedly, shaking his head and drawing the alarmed attention of the others. “Oscar is right. There is no other way–and no time either. We must do something soon even if it means sacrificing one of us in exchange for the others.” He looked up at the faces of his two companions, both pale with worry and fright. “But it won’t be you, Oscar, who shall make that sacrifice. It will be me.”
“What? You can�
�t do that, Maynard.”
“I have to.”
“Certainly not!” Ned added. “You’re our mayor, after all, and our go-between with Caldurian. These past few days would have been much worse without you talking at least a bit of sense into that crazed wizard.”
“Perhaps, but I still must do this,” he insisted. “Unlike you two, I have no family, so if something happens to me…”
Ned flung up his arms in desperation. “There has to be some other way, Maynard! Go to the wizard and talk to him. Convince him to change his mind.”
Maynard looked helpless. “He won’t do that, and you know it, Ned.”
Oscar nodded. “That I agree with. The expression on Caldurian’s face as he stood in front of the prisoners chilled me to the bone. He will not compromise regardless of any arguments we present.” He glanced at his friends, his eyes glistening in the candlelight. “We have no choice. It’s up to us to save them.”
After another futile attempt to change his mind, Ned finally agreed that Maynard should give himself up at sunset and hope for the best, though both he and Oscar privately thought that a ghastly outcome was inevitable. When Oscar later informed Amanda and Katherine of their decision while they worked in the kitchen, both women were horrified, fearing the worst.
“With the little time we have, what else could we do?” Oscar explained as his wife and Katherine stood on the verge of tears. “Given that Maynard has cultivated a bit of trust with the wizard, maybe Caldurian will judge him less severely.”
Amanda scoffed. “Given that Maynard broke that trust, Caldurian might respond all the more harshly. I fear Maynard Kurtz is walking to his doom.”
Nicholas Raven and the Wizards' Web (The Complete Epic Fantasy) Page 76
